kick in the teeth
3
7.4
- idiom
- Informal
:
decepción
- After working hard for a promotion, being passed over for someone less qualified felt like a kick in the teeth.
- better than a kick in the teeth
Examples
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They needed a kick in the teeth to find that inner spark again, but there's no reason why RU could not have run Syracuse and especially UConn off the field in a similar manner the past two weeks.
Blog text (10) -
All I got in return in the end was a kick in the teeth. # JIM #
Fiction book (1991) -
You usually walk out and leave 'em with nothing but a kick in the teeth.
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Wow, what a kick in the teeth, right?
Blog text (15) -
This evening has been quite a kick in the teeth to me, Mr. Conover.
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It was better than a kick in the teeth, but not much.
Fiction book (1997) -
$600 per month is an obscene gesture, like a kick in the teeth to someone when they're down.
Blog text (7) -
But it really is a kick in the teeth for the Kickstarter backers who didn't get their yeah, who didn't get their cooler.
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Obama tried the process and was kicked in the teeth for it (I, again, refer you to Olympia Snowe's actions during the PPACA debates).
Blog text (15) -
Owners of these businesses have modest personal means and live corresponding lifestyles, but get kicked in the teeth by posturing, economically ignorant politicians looking to score points by raising taxes on "the rich."
Blog text (11)
Synonyms
184
4.4
A sudden event that causes disappointment or trouble
117
1.6
An event, action, or situation that makes someone feel let down
2
7.3
A sudden event that causes great harm or shock to plans and feelings
1
8.0
A sudden strong feeling of shock and disappointment from bad news
A sudden public rejection or defeat that embarrasses someone
Antonyms
How Disappointing
Surface Forms
Morphology
kick + in + the + teeth
The phrase evokes the literal image of a violent blow (kick + teeth), so the mapping to a severe setback or hurt is a clear metaphorical extension of the constituents. However, the conventionalized meaning 'a severe disappointment' is an idiomatic, metaphorical use of that image and the specific sense is not fully predictable from the words alone, making it partially but not fully transparent to learners.
Etymology
Kick in the teeth comes from the image of someone being hit by a sudden kick to the teeth, a very painful surprise. So it means 'a severe disappointment' or 'a setback'.